Fastener for shoe laces or other flexible ties



Nov. 25, 1958 J. J. 'APPLEBAUM 2,851,314

FASTENER FOR SHOE LACES OR OTHER! FLEXIBLE TIES Filed Dec. 8, 1955 JackJacob App/ebaam 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent FASTENER FOR SHOE LACES OR OTHER FLEXIBLE TIES JackJacob Applebaum, Chicago, Ill. Application December 8, 1955, Serial No.551,762 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-117) The present invention relates to new anduseful improvements in fastening devices for the ends of a shoe lace orother flexible tie to prevent a bow knot from becoming a hard knot bythe ends of the lace working or being pulled backwardly out of bow tyingposition, or

flapping into the bows so that a hard knot will be formed by pulling oneither end of the lace. 1

An important object of the invention is to provide a tubular fasteningmember in which each end of a tied lace is secured and securing thetubular fasteners to each other to secure the ends of the lace togetherfor the purpose above set forth.

Another object of the invention is to construct the tubular fastenersfor telescoping interlocking wedging, pull apart relation with eachother.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable inoperation, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which thesame is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

' Figure 2 and 3 are side elevational views showing diametricallyopposite sides of the tubular fastener members connected to each other;

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view; and

Figure 5 is a group perspective view of the pair of fastening members.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numerals 5 and 6 designate a pair of tubular fastening members ofuniform diameter and the member 5 is formed with a conical tip 7 at oneend adapted for insertion in one end of the member 6 infriction-gripping interlocking, wedging, pull apart connectiontherewith.

The inner end portion of the member 5 is formed with a longitudinal slot8 which extends into the tip 7 and the inner end portion of member 6 isalsoformed with a longitudinal slot 9 aligned with the slot 8. The outer"end portion of the member 5 is formed with a substantiallysemi-circular extension 10 having one longitudinal edge portion spirallycurved as shown at 11 to merge with a bayonet slot 12 formed in theextension 10. The longitudinal slot 9 of the member 6 leads to a bayonetslot 13 adjacent the outer end portion of said member. The outer endportion of the member 6 is formed with a plurality of longitudinallyextending pointed or sharpened prongs 14.

In the operation of the device one end portion 15 of a shoe lace orother flexible tie is inserted in the slot 8 of fastener member 5 andwith the shoe lace extended in a direction toward the outer end of themember 5 and laterally outwardly through the bayonet slot 12 to anchorthe end 15 of the lace therein. The other end portion 16 of the lace isinserted in the outer end portion of the member 6 and laterallyoutwardly through the side thereof through the longitudinal slot 9 andinto the bayonet slot 13.

After the lace has been tied in a bow knot as shown at 17 and the ends15 and 16 of the lace secured in the fastener members 5 and 6 in themanner indicated, the conical tip 7 or member 5 is inserted in the innerend of member 6 to frictionally secure the members in connected relationwith each other with a pull apart connection. The fastener thus securesthe ends of the lace to each other to prevent said ends from beingpulled or working backwardly through the knot or flapping into the loopsor the bows and a hard knot being formed when the ends of the lace arepulled upon. In case the end 16 is pulled, or works rearwardly, thepointed prongs 14 of the member 6 will bite into the knot and preventthe fastener member from being pulled through the knot. The bayonetslots 12, 13 pinch the ends 15, 16 of the lace to hold said ends tight.The extension 10 and spiral edge portion 11 provide for guiding the end15 into the bayonet slot 12. By aligning the slots 8, 9 the tip ends ofthe lace will be disposed at opposite sides of the fastener device toreduce tendency of the same to tangle.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A fastener for a flexible tie comprising a pair of tubular membersfrictionally fitting one within the other in telescoping pull-apartrelation, each of said members being adapted to receive an end portionof a flexible tie in one end of the members, and a bayonet slot in oneside of each of the members extending longitudinally andcircumferentially thereof and through which the end portions of the tiepass outwardly of the members for retention in the slot, said membershaving longitudinal slots therein for reception of an intermediateportion of the flexible tie and for aligning to dispose the bayonetslots at opposite sides of the fastener so that said end portions arecorrespondingly disposed to reduce tendency of the same to tangle.

2. The construction of claim 1 and including outwardly extending edgeprongs on the outer end of at least one of the members for bightingcontact with a knot in the tie to prevent the fastener from workingthrough the knot in the tie.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS544,349 Burgin Aug. 13, 1895 667,939 Frye Feb. 12, 1901 1,220,629 HawksMar. 27, 1917 1,284,972 Anthony Nov. 19, 1918 2,451,247 Sims Oct.12,1948

. FOREIGN PATENTS 4,139 Great Britain Feb. 26, 1901 6,166 Great BritainMar. 11, l9l0 77,347 Austria July 25, 19l9 195,599 Germany Feb. 21, 1908

